Motherwell return to the scene of Cameragate today desperate to avoid a replay of the video nasty that spelled the beginning of the end for Mark McGhee.

Of course, their sacked former boss won’t be at Pittodrie to witness their attempt to atone for that humiliating 7-2 thumping by Aberdeen in February.

But that doesn’t make it any less important to Scott McDonald that Well produce a performance to silence the boorish section of the Aberdeen support who provoked McGhee’s infamous meltdown when he was sent to the stand.

The Australian wasn’t in the Granite City that night because he was suspended but like everyone else he witnessed the aftermath as McGhee’s tirade against a taunting Dons fan clutching his camera phone went viral.

Motherwell manager Mark McGhee argues with the fourth official during the 7-2 loss to Aberdeen (Image: SNS Group)

In hindsight, it was the start of a rapid downward spiral that led to McGhee’s dismissal two weeks later and McDonald remains resentful of the way the Dons legend was treated that night.

McDonald said: “It’s the only environment where someone would come out and say the words they did. Whether it’s Aberdeen, Celtic Park or Ibrox, I don’t care where it is. It’s not labelling one set of fans.

“But all fans think it’s OK to give their tuppence worth.

“We can’t react and if we do it’s, ‘How dare you! You are role models!’

“Which is fine. We have to play by those rules but in terms of respect it was poor what the person said to Mark. It was embarrassing for that fan and his support.

“They think they are gutsy doing it with a camera behind him – but if you walked past a person in the street would he be brave enough to say it? I think not.

“And that’s the disappointing thing in society. People use social media to become a lot braver.

“If they were walking down the street in a normal society they would be minding their own business and walking straight past you. It’s disappointing.

“The manager was emotional but I don’t think that will happen again. I’d like to think now if a manager gets sent to the stand they won’t be put in that position again. They’ll be taken straight up the tunnel. Mark will have known what he was walking into. He was the manager there and it wasn’t a successful time so he would have been expecting stick at his old club.

Motherwell defeated Kilmarnock

“Sometimes you take it, sometimes it’s hard but I don’t think he did anything wrong. He had an argument with the referee. He didn’t argue with the people in the stands but they stuck a camera in his face.

“We were disappointed the manager left. The buck stops with the players and we all felt we had let him down. It’s the first time in a changing room that I’ve seen a manager leave and there’s not been a split in opinions or dressing-room divide. Everyone was just in shock and disappointment.

“We want to put it right. There are amends to be made.

“Not even just for that result at Pittodrie but for all the results since the winter break.

“We need to start picking up points where people don’t expect us to, like Aberdeen.”

Zak Jules celebrates his winner

While Pittodrie marked the beginning of the end for McGhee’s Motherwell reign, it could be the making of his stand-in replacement Stephen Robinson’s bid to get the job full-time.

The Northern Irishman made a big impression on McDonald last week when his tactical reshuffle at half-time – hooking senior players Keith Lasley and Steven Hammell to inject more pace – prompted a fightback to beat Kilmarnock.

Now if Robinson can pull off another good result against a Dons side only beaten once at home this season, he’ll state a strong case to get the nod ahead of fellow contenders Owen Coyle, Jim Duffy, Billy Davies and John Hughes.

McDonald added: “It was a much-needed win to lift our spirits.

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“We showed character, grit and determination because when you go 1-0 down away from home, doom and gloom sets in and you can think, ‘Oh here we go, we are in a real battle until the end of the season.’

“But in fairness to Steve, he shook it up at half-time and we got the positive result. The changes he made, bringing on a striker and a winger let us have a right go at Kilmarnock.

“The majority of us have been working with Steve before under two different managers and he’s very good on organisation, shape and getting his points across.

“He has always had a hard edge. We are both of the same ilk in that respect. So we get along fine – sometimes!”